World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has expressed confidence that there would be no confusion surrounding any disciplinary issues at the Rugby World Cup.

England captain Owen Farrell will miss his country’s opening games of the tournament against Argentina and Japan after receiving a four-match ban for a dangerous tackle against World Cup warm-up opponents Wales.

World Rugby had appealed against the decision of a disciplinary panel to downgrade Farrell’s red card for a high tackle to yellow.

But a furious outcry greeted the verdict that Farrell’s shoulder-led challenge to Taine Basham’s head, which caused the Wales flanker to fail a head injury assessment, was a sin-binning offence only.

The appeal committee found that the original hearing had not considered Farrell’s failure to wrap when attempting the tackle, which had formed a key part of the bunker review system’s analysis when upgrading from yellow to red – and on that basis, it was decided to hear the case afresh.

“We have introduced the foul play bunker through Super Rugby and then into the summer games,” Gilpin said during the opening World Cup press conference at Roland Garros.

“There are always learnings from introducing things and there have been.

“The key difference for us coming into the tournament is that we get to control the process much more – everything from the way television pictures are shared with the relevant officials through to disciplinary process, obviously all under one set of controls.

“And that gives us the confidence I think that we can make sure it is not confusing for players and fans.”

The World Cup will begin in the wake of international players Rhys Webb and Elton Jantjies recording positive drugs tests.

Former Wales and current Biarritz scrum-half Webb, who retired from Test rugby in May, tested positive for a growth hormone, while South African fly-half Jantjies, who missed out on World Cup selection, tested positive for banned substance Clenbuterol.

In a general response, Gilpin added: “Does rugby have a doping problem? I think the evidence suggests no.

“We are not complacent at all and we are confident with the programmes that we have in place. We are working with the ALFD (French Anti-Doping Agency).

“We’ve taken really significant steps to make sure that every team in this tournament are tested in and out of competition and we’ve taken the step of re-testing every test that was taken in the 2019 World Cup with the latest anti-doping procedures and technology.”

Gilpin, meanwhile, believes the women’s World Cup in New Zealand last year provided positive images for the sport that should be repeated.

“I think what we saw in New Zealand, which is so important for rugby in the future, is players’ personalities not just being projected but being embraced by fans, by media,” he said.

“I think there is a lot that the men can learn from that and hopefully we can bring the personalities of all the great players that we’ve got in the game alive.

“There was also a huge amount of joy around that tournament, fans really getting behind every team.

“I am sure we will see that across the next seven weeks here in France. If the team welcome ceremonies we’ve seen in recent days are anything to go by, the teams can expect a pretty special welcome wherever they are.

“I am a bit of a veteran of these things now and I don’t think there has ever been a Rugby World Cup, ever been an event in rugby that has been as eagerly anticipated, with the excitement that is building not just here in France but around the world for this tournament.

“If the quality of rugby in the last couple of months is anything to go by, we’re going to see some very entertaining matches.”

Looking ahead to the tournament – which kicks off on Friday with a heavyweight clash between France and New Zealand in Paris – World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “We know that this nation will be a magnificent host.

“We have received incredible support from the highest office to the smallest villages. Never has a nation been so ready and so excited to host.

“We have a record number of international fans, some 600,000, and the stage is set. I think it is fair to say that the action will be compelling, spectacular and unpredictable.”

Gabriel Jesus wants to kick on and get his rhythm back after the Arsenal striker scored for the first time since overcoming a nagging, frustrating knee issue.

The 26-year-old impressed after joining from Manchester City last summer but was laid low in December with an injury sustained in Brazil’s World Cup group game against Cameroon.

Jesus did not return to action for Arsenal until mid-March and had to go back under the knife last month due to irritation with the original knee problem.

The striker made his second substitute appearance since then on Sunday, when he completed a memorable late 3-1 Premier League comeback win against Manchester United.

“I’m feeling good,” Jesus said after the Emirates Stadium triumph. “It’s tough when you just come back from injury.

“After a holiday, I started to feel in my knee again. It was unlucky for me. It’s tough.

“After pre-season, you go and try but you feel in pain. And then I made the decision to do surgery as quickly as possible to come back stronger.

“That was tough, but now I’m getting back. It’s so important to get the rhythm again, so, yeah. I’m back. I feel good and I’m happy.”

Jesus says he felt completely fine at the end of last season and only once felt his knee play up at the end of a training session, but even then it felt fine the next day.

His right knee continued to feel fine during his post-season holiday and the start of pre-season, only for the issue to flare up again.

“When I came back, in the first week, still nothing,” Jesus said. “Then after I started to feel it. And for me, it was (a case of) if I’m not 100 per cent, I won’t be myself. I was trying.

“Personally, I’m good with the pain, so I was keeping playing and training.

“I was feeling it a little bit, but for me it was nothing. But then we hit a point when I couldn’t run or move, so I decided to do a surgery and that was it.”

Asked how mentally tough he found that, Jesus said: “First day is s*** when you just find out. Then the day after you realise you have to keep going, fighting and smile because I have a life.

“God has given me a life, God let me wake up every morning, so I have to be grateful, I’m blessed.

“I can walk, I can be here, I can smile, so nothing to complain. Just believe in God and keep fighting.”

That belief extends to collective success at Arsenal, who head into the international break with 10 points from their first four matches after beating United on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford’s opener was immediately cancelled out by Martin Odegaard, before Declan Rice and Jesus struck in stoppage time after Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal ruled out for the visitors.

“That’s the Premier League,” the Brazil forward said. “Sometimes the game changes a lot. We conceded, we came back, we had a penalty, didn’t have a penalty.

“In my opinion there were some bad decisions from the referee.

“Even with their (disallowed) goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but it was offside.

“Then, after the game changed again, we scored two and we won the game. That’s it.

“When you play a massive game like this against a tough opponent, it’s always like this.

“We tried to win but they have quality as well – behind, in the middle, up front. That’s the Premier League, that’s why it’s the toughest league in the world.”

Jesus now has a fortnight to recuperate and continue to build fitness, while fellow striker Eddie Nketiah gets his first taste of senior international football.

England Under-21s’ all-time top scorer has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first time having scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign.

“First of all, competition is always good – for me and for him,” Jesus said. “In all positions when you have competition it’s a good thing.

“From day one, I’m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing. It’s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team.

“Congrats to him, he’s doing so well and he deserves to be called into the England national team.

“For me personally, it’s good competition. It’s always good for the club because for sure he’s making me better and I’m making him better as well.”

Arsenal return to action at Everton on September 17, with United back in action the previous day as they look to return to winning ways at home to Brighton.

Manager Erik ten Hag said: “We have to improve, definitely. But you see, and also what we have seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been our side.”

Patrick Neville is considering options at Down Royal and Newbury for stable star The Real Whacker’s seasonal reappearance.

The seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent novice campaign over fences last term, winning each of his three starts at Cheltenham including a popular Festival success in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

North Yorkshire-based Neville is confident his pride and joy has returned from a summer break better than ever and is looking forward to seeing him return to competitive action in the autumn.

“He’s done really well over the summer. He came back in around mid-July and he’s back cantering away now and is in great form,” he said.

“He looks well and has developed into a nice horse over the summer. He’s only really a horse now to be honest. He was always lightly-framed but he’s filled into his frame now and is looking fierce well.

“I’ve had Sam Twiston-Davies ringing me up to see how he is and he is looking forward to riding him for the season, all going well.”

Neville is planning to give The Real Whacker just two runs before a return to the Cotswolds in March for a tilt at Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.

He added: “There’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (December 2) or Down Royal on early November is another option. There’s a second-season novice chase there that we’ll have a look at.

“You’ve got the King George at Christmas and Cheltenham in January, so we’ll see. We’d be thinking two runs and then the Gold Cup – that’s the plan.”

Damon Hill has described Toto Wolff’s dismissal of Max Verstappen’s record winning streak as “churlish” and “ungracious”.

Red Bull’s Verstappen became the first driver in Formula One’s 73-year history to win 10 consecutive races following his triumph at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.

But moments after Verstappen drove into the record books, Mercedes team principal Wolff called the Dutchman’s unprecedented run of victories “completely irrelevant”. He added that the record was only “for Wikipedia, and nobody reads that anyway”.

Responding to Wolff’s unflattering appraisal, 1996 world champion Hill said: “It sounded a bit churlish and not very gracious.

“It’s unlike Toto because he’s usually very sporting. But he is hurting a bit now. They know what it is like to be dominant and they didn’t even get on the podium in Monza.

“They seem to be a bit stymied and can’t seem to work out what to do. But who can? It seems like everywhere we go, Red Bull has got the upper hand.”

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton crossed the line a distant fifth and sixth respectively for Mercedes at Monza’s Cathedral of Speed.

Hamilton, who was hit with a five-second penalty for colliding with Australian rookie Oscar Piastri, finished 42 sec behind Verstappen.

The seven-time world champion, who last week committed to a new two-year deal with Mercedes, worth £100million, has now gone 37 races without a victory.

For Verstappen, now a victor at 12 of the 14 rounds so far, he has not lost a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30, 127 days ago. There is an outside chance he could wrap up a hat-trick of titles in Japan on September 24 with six rounds still to race.

Verstappen’s Red Bull team also remain on course to make history by going the year unbeaten.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Hill, 62, continued: “Max has achieved something no-one else has ever done.

“Red Bull have won 14 races this year and it is an incredible record, but you can’t just put it down to the car.

“This guy is special. Throughout Max’s career, from the moment he arrived in F1, he has done things no-one has done before and he continues to polish off this season.”

Police have launched an investigation after footage was circulated on social media following an alleged assault on Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane.

Sky confirmed that fellow pundit Micah Richards attempted to “defuse” the situation at the Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

The Metropolitan Police said there had been no arrests but they are investigating an alleged assault after the game on Sunday.

Sky said the alleged assault “immediately” preceded the footage on social media.

Confirming the incident, a Sky Sports spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

“In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.”

In their own short statement, the Met said: “Police are investigating following an assault that is alleged to have occurred at the Emirates Stadium during an Arsenal v Manchester United match on Sunday, 3 September.

“There have been no arrests. Inquiries are ongoing.

“Any witnesses or those with information are asked to call 101 ref CAD 6961/3 Sept.”

Connections of Mansa Musa are dreaming of a trip to the Breeders’ Cup for their speedy youngster having just missed out on big-race success at the Curragh last month.

Trained by Irish-based Brazilian Diego Dias, the son of Ten Sovereigns has shown plenty of talent in his three outings to date and announced himself at the Qatar Goodwood Festival when repelling the well-regarded 4-6 favourite Array to shed his maiden tag.

It looked likely that Mansa Musa would be headed to Hong Kong following that success, but having earnt a reprieve after instead being purchased by Team Valor International LLC and Gary Barber, he has continued to be trained by Dias and was immediately upped in class for the Group Three Round Tower Stakes, where he finished an honourable second to Paddy Twomey’s Letsbefrankaboutit.

All three of the colt’s runs so far have come over six furlongs and he will continue to ply his trade over that distance for his next start in the Ballyhane Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse on September 18.

However, a strong showing in that Listed event could signal a trip to Santa Anita in early November for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, where connections feel Mansa Musa’ pace could prove a real asset dropping back to five furlongs and racing around a bend.

“We got lucky there and I originally tried to buy him but someone in Hong Kong made a much, much bigger offer,” explained Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor.

“The horse was vetted and for some reason, even though the vetting for me was fine, they decided not to go, so we were able to get him for our original offer. We’re into him at a very good figure.

“I think six furlongs for him at this moment is just a little too far against the really good horses. The horse that beat him the other day looks pretty smart.

“We’re going to run him back one more time going six furlongs at Fairyhouse on September 18 because that is the most suitable race and if he performs well enough we will send him over to America for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Turf) Sprint.

“That is five furlongs around a turn and it is one of those races where if you get the right draw, then he is a very speedy horse and I think he could do something in a race like that.

“In his first race he showed a ton of speed and it just caught up with him in the last furlong, he went from first to last in a heartbeat. But he has a tremendous amount of early speed for a horse of his size.”

England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick acknowledges World Cup selection is causing anxiety amongst the squad but has backed Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone to come good.

Malan and Livingstone struggled during Sunday’s emphatic 74-run defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston, which kept the four-match T20 series finely poised at 2-1 to the world champions ahead of Tuesday’s finale in Nottingham.

While Malan and Livingstone were both named in last month’s preliminary squad for the 50-over World Cup, Harry Brook remains the elephant in the room after Ben Stokes’ decision to reverse his ODI retirement saw Brook left out.

Brook has responded in scintillating fashion and even white-ball captain Jos Buttler admitted there is a “long time” left with England not forced to nail down their final 15-man squad until September 28.

Trescothick admitted: “When there is that element and the noise from outside the changing room is going on, of course you start to question (things) sometimes, especially if you are not playing well, but you deal with these anxieties and problems on many occasions.

“It is up to the individuals, with our help as coaches, to get the best out of them and to get them in the right frame of mind. That’s all you try and do, right?

“You can only keep going into the middle, keep going into the nets and doing the right things because eventually it falls back into place.

“These are challenging times and we know that. Selection always brings that little something but it is about pushing and to keep giving them that opportunity.

“That is what we will do from our point of view, support them as much as we can and give them every opportunity then leave the rest for either them to score runs or the selectors to do what they want to do after that.”

If Brook is to force his way into England’s World Cup squad and final XI, Malan and Livingstone are heading up the list of vulnerable parties.

Malan contributed an 11-ball innings of two in Birmingham after a four-ball duck at Old Trafford and while he scored 54 in the series opener, the 36-year-old was dropped by Trent Rockets in last month’s Hundred to highlight his lack of fluency.

But Trescothick insisted: “We have been working at various times in the nets and opportunities when we do, talking about the fundamentals of what he does when he plays well and what he gets right.

“We won’t change that practice in what we’re trying to achieve, but it takes a bit of time.

“You know when you are going from not having batted much for the period the players have been in The Hundred, they need an innings, they need a score.

“Sometimes it is a journey, sometimes it is quickly but we will keep doing the same stuff and eventually it will click back into place. There is no doubt about it.”

Trescothick is equally convinced about Livingstone despite a lean spell with the bat with a top score of 28 in The Hundred, while he has not passed fifty for England since last July against Netherlands.

“Before we know it, he will be back and playing a major part,” England’s assistant coach said of Livingstone, who took one wicket for 55 on Sunday.

“He has played a decent amount of games, but he wouldn’t have batted a massive amount, so you still need that rhythm, timing and volume of balls you face. That’s what we will try between now and going into the World Cup to obviously get that volume up.

“The package Liam brings, the all-round cricketer we know he is and what we’ve seen in the past, let’s just give him that little bit of time.

“We know what he can do. He can win you the game with the ball or win you the game in the field, or with the bat so let’s let it happen.”

Britain’s Mo Farah secured gold in the 5,000 metres at the World Championships in Daegu on this day in 2011.

Having lost the 10,000m just seven days earlier, Farah managed to hold off competition from American Bernard Lagat to win the 5,000m in 13 minutes 23.36 seconds.

The Briton had faced competition from Dejen Gebremeskel, but the Ethiopian began to face with 100m to go and despite a late surge from Lagat, Farah held on to become the first British man to win a world title over 5,000m.

“I’m very proud, I just can’t believe it,” Farah said after winning the race.

“I just had to go out there and do what I did in the 10k but just get it right this time.

“I just want to thank everyone who’s helped me. It’s great to have my family behind me.

“I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, moving away from home where it’s comfortable relative to everything else and I’m glad I made that choice because it’s working. I’ve got the gold now. It just feels amazing.”

Farah had moved his family to Oregon in the United States to work with coach Alberto Salazar earlier in the year. Salazar has been banned from coaching since 2019 following an investigations by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Farah won double gold at the 2012 Olympics in London the following year before retaining his 5,000m and 10,000m titles at Rio 2016.

The six-time World Champion has confirmed that the Great North Run, taking place next Sunday, will be his final race.

Iga Swiatek’s reign as US Open champion, and world number one, was ended by her nemesis Jelena Ostapenko.

The 22-year-old Pole had not dropped a set on her way to the fourth round, but she had never beaten Ostapenko in three previous career meetings.

Swiatek took the first set with relative ease but then Ostapenko’s sledgehammer of a forehand started finding its mark to level the match.

A one-sided final set saw former French Open champion Ostapenko triumph 3-6 6-3 6-1.

Swiatek’s defeat means that Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will take over as world number one after the tournament.

Ostapenko will face Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals after the teenager ended the grand slam comeback of mother-of-two Caroline Wozniacki.

The 19-year-old came from a break down in the first and third sets to win both and complete a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory.

Wozniacki’s return has been one of the stories of New York this year, having come out of retirement after more than three years and two children later.

The 33-year-old former world number one has looked as though she has never been away, but a fired-up Gauff proved just too strong in the deciding set.

Wozniacki got off to a dream start with a break in the first game and a 2-0 lead.

But Gauff quickly got back on the board, levelling at 3-3 before going on to clinch the first set without dropping another game.

Wozniacki cranked up the pressure in the second and Gauff started feeling it as her suspect forehand began to misfire and she was broken for 5-3 as the Dane levelled the match.

Gauff looked uncomfortable as she dropped serve again at the start of the decider, but after pointedly ignoring the advice of coach Brad Gilbert, the wound-up American began firing backhand winners as if they were going out of fashion.

She reeled off the next six games to clinch the victory and let out a loud scream of triumph after converting match point.

“Definitely getting it to 2-1 (in the third set) was the turning point,” said Gauff.

“I got broke and I showed I was still in the match. I started to go for my shots.

“Caroline, it’s like she’s never left, the level she played was amazing. It’s weird because I grew up watching Caroline and when she won the Australian Open, so to be on court with her today was an honour.

“She definitely gets to a lot of balls. I felt a bit like I was playing myself. I knew I had to play aggressive and go for my shots. In some moments I miss but I was happy I could get back and refocus.”

It will be the fifth grand slam quarter-final of Gauff’s still-fledgling career and her second at Flushing Meadows.

“I’ve been in this position before,” she added. “And I think I have confidence in myself that I can go even further.”

Rookie Jasson Dominguez's two-run homer in the sixth inning accounted for the go-ahead runs as the New York Yankees completed a stunning three-game road sweep of the Houston Astros with a 6-1 victory on Sunday night.

Dominguez took Astros starter Cristian Javier's pitch over the right-field wall to snap a 1-1 tie for the 20-year-old's second big hit of the series. He homered off 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander in his first major league at-bat during New York's 6-2 victory in Friday's opener.

DJ LeMahieu had an RBI double earlier in the Yankees' three-run sixth inning, while Gleyber Torres homered in the ninth while finishing 2 for 4.

The defending World Series champion Astros entered the series on a five-game winning streak and missed out on a chance to move into a first-place tie in the AL West. Division leader Seattle remained a game up on Houston despite the Mariners losing, 6-3, to the New York Mets on Sunday.

Michael King allowed one run and five hits over five innings to help the Yankees to their sixth win in seven games.

Javier struck out eight over six innings but was reached for three runs on four hits. 

Garcia's homer in ninth lifts Rangers over Twins

The Texas Rangers did manage to gain ground on the Mariners in the AL West race after Adolis Garcia's walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the playoff hopefuls to a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Garcia had struck out in each of his previous four at-bats before launching his 34th homer of the season, a leadoff drive off Josh Winder, to break a 5-5 deadlock and end Texas' three-game losing streak.

The Rangers won for just the fourth time in their last 16 games and moved within one game of first-place Seattle.

Mitch Garver had a three-run homer in the first inning for Texas and finished 4 for 4 with four RBIs.

The Twins forged a 5-5 tie on Royce Lewis' RBI single off reliever Jose Leclerc in the eighth, though Rangers closer Will Smith prevented further damage by inducing an inning-ending double play from Carlos Correa with the bases loaded. 

Lewis earlier tied the contest with a three-run homer in the fifth and ended 3 for 5 for AL Central-leading Minnesota. Correa also had three hits, including an RBI single in the seventh.

Rookie Miller stars as Dodgers prevent sweep from Braves

Bobby Miller threw seven outstanding innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a needed 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a four-game series between the National League's top two teams.

NL East-leading Atlanta had taken the first three matchups of the weekend set, but managed just one run on three hits off Miller as the talented rookie stopped the Braves' six-game winning streak and improved to 9-3 on the season.

Miller took a shutout into the seventh before surrendering Matt Olson's 44th home run of the season, which tied the Atlanta slugger with Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead.

Braves starter Charlie Morton kept the NL West-leading Dodgers off the board until the bottom of the fifth, which he began by walking James Outman before Miguel Rojas delivered an RBI double for the game's first run. Mookie Betts followed with a single that plated Rojas for a 2-0 lead. 

Betts went 3 for 4 on the afternoon, while Olson had two of Atlanta's five total hits.

Novak Djokovic strolled into the last eight of the US Open with a three-set win over Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo.

Djokovic is now one behind Roger Federer’s record of 58 grand slam quarter-finals after a 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory.

The Serbian second seed got himself out of a minor pickle at 2-0 down in the second set, breaking back and dropping just four points in his next six service games.

A break to love in the third finished 6ft 5in Gojo off with Djokovic going through in two hours and 25 minutes.

Djokovic, bidding for a 24th grand slam title, said: “I knew Borna has a big game. I saw that he played well in the qualifying round.

“I saw that he’s a big-shot player, his serve and forehand are big weapons, he moves pretty well for a big guy, so the key points for me were to neutralise his serve.”

Djokovic has had a very agreeable draw in New York but he faces American ninth seed Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.

He added: “You know, obviously the matches are only going to get tougher from now onwards, and I’m ready.”

Big-serving Ben Shelton blew away fellow American Tommy Paul to lead the home charge into the quarter-finals.

The 20-year-old from Atlanta fired down two 149mph serves in one game on his way to a 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory.

“I think it was straight adrenaline,” he said. “In any other atmosphere I don’t think I could get it done. I think my arm would fall off, but it’s feeling good right now.”

The record fastest serve at the US Open is still held by Andy Roddick, who hit a 152mph thunderbolt on his way to the title in 2003 – the last time an American man won their home slam.

It was sweet revenge for Shelton, who was knocked out by Paul at the same stage of the Australian Open in January.

He added: “I really learned how to be mentally tough. When I was playing in Australia after a long week, I was looking at my box saying ‘my legs are dead, I’m tired, I can’t go anymore’.

“I realised how important it is to believe in myself, believe that I can go all the way, the full distance emotionally and physically and now I have that belief here.”

Shelton will play 10th seed Frances Tiafoe, guaranteeing at least one American man in the semi-finals.

Tiafoe beat Australian wild card Rinky Hijikata in straight sets, 6-4 6-1 6-4.

“It’s a shame that two of us have to play in the quarter-finals. Maybe we could have three in the semis,” added Shelton.

Fritz beat Dominic Stricker of Switzerland in three sets to make the last eight at Flushing Meadows for the first time.

Teenager Coco Gauff ended the grand-slam comeback of mother-of-two Caroline Wozniacki to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.

The 19-year-old came from a break down in the first and third sets to win both and complete a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory.

Wozniacki’s return has been one of the stories of New York this year, having come out of retirement after more than three years and two children later.

The 33-year-old former world number one has looked as though she has never been away, but a fired-up Gauff proved just too strong in the deciding set.

Wozniacki got off to a dream start with a break in the first game and a 2-0 lead.

But Gauff quickly got back on the board, levelling at 3-3 before going on to clinch the first set without dropping another game.

Wozniacki cranked up the pressure in the second and Gauff started feeling it as her suspect forehand began to misfire and she was broken for 5-3 as the Dane levelled the match.

Gauff looked uncomfortable as she dropped serve again at the start of the decider, but after pointedly ignoring the advice of coach Brad Gilbert, the wound-up American began firing backhand winners as if they were going out of fashion.

She reeled off the next six games to clinch the victory and let out a loud scream of triumph after converting match point.

“Definitely getting it to 2-1 (in the third set) was the turning point,” said Gauff.

“I got broke and I showed I was still in the match. I started to go for my shots.

“Caroline, it’s like she’s never left, the level she played was amazing. It’s weird because I grew up watching Caroline and when she won the Australian Open, so to be on court with her today was an honour.

“She definitely gets to a lot of balls. I felt a bit like I was playing myself. I knew I had to play aggressive and go for my shots. In some moments I miss but I was happy I could get back and refocus.”

It will be the fifth grand slam quarter-final of Gauff’s still-fledgling career and her second at Flushing Meadows.

“I’ve been in this position before,” she added. “And I think I have confidence in myself that I can go even further.”